Almost 100 Dalit families in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district were denied to install an idol of Goddess Kali on the first day of Navratra festival. The villagers pleaded the district magistrate for justice.

Villagers threatened, if they are not allowed to set up the idol, they will convert to Islam

Photo Credit:&nbspANI

Villagers threatened, if they are not allowed to set up the idol, they will convert to Islam

Lucknow: Around 100 Dalit families in Meerut's Mussourie village have threatened to convert after they were allegedly stopped by local goons, from installing Goddess Kali's idol in the village temple on Wednesday. The villagers reached the district magistrate's residence to protest and to inform the magistrate that goons have threatened them to thrash if the install the idol. The incident happened on the first day of the Navratra festival.

According to news agency ANI, Rajkumar, a protester said "We are Hindus. If we can't put a goddess idol in a temple then where should we go? it's better to convert."

The villagers alleged that four families attacked them and these four families use the temple space to park their vehicles and tractors. Reportedly, these four families also happen to be Dalits. According to a report by Times of India, Kuldeep Kumar a villager said, If they are not allowed to set up the idol, they will convert to Islam. This holds for at least100 families of the village, who were not allowed to enter the temple.

Meanwhile, Additional district magistrate Ram Chandra told the national daily, "The matter is in our knowledge and there is nothing to worry about. It is a tiff between two groups over the installation of an idol, which will be looked into and we will reach a conclusion soon."